RME marks milestone
Company founder pays tribute to Wagners’ vision
AS A 35-tonne Russell Mill Relining Machine took off from Wellcamp Airport for Hong Kong last night, it not only marked a major milestone for Russell Mineral Equipment, but for Toowoomba.
RME founder and executive chairman Dr John Russell was on hand to witness the occasion, along with key staff, dignitaries and business leaders.
Dr Russell paid tribute to the Wagner family’s vision of building an airport that could land a 747 in Toowoomba.
“It reminded me of how they built the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the 1930s. They made it 10 lanes wide and there were only half a dozen cars on the north shore,” he said.
“Wagners, in their own way, have done the same thing - to build an airport for Toowoomba that can land 747s ... you can’t see why they’d do it but here we go and the (747) comes in and lands once a week.
“It’s absolutely staggering vision.” Dr Russell also said it made him proud that a customer saw so much value in company’s machine that they were willing to fly it around the world for use in a matter of days, rather than having to wait months via sea.
Loaded onto a Cathay Pacific 747-400 in three pieces yesterday afternoon, the machine flew to Hong Kong, where it will connect with a freight flight to Los Angeles, before heading to New Mexico.
Russell Mill Relining Machines cut down the time it takes to replace heavy steel liners found in ore grinding mills, saving companies millions of dollars in time.
Dr Russell was a young mechanical engineer with five years' experience in the mining industry who moved to Toowoomba in 1985 in order to realise his dream of inventing and manufacturing worldclass mining and mineral processing equipment in Australia.
Today, RME is recognised as the world's leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of mineral grinding Mill Relining Machines and associated equipment.
Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio described Dr Russell as one of the city’s “new-age pioneers”.
“You often here me talk about new-age pioneers and John has been one of those people for a long time,” he said.